By Lisa Lander
COCHECTON — Saturday, May 26 was Erika Poston’s first day on the National Canoe Safety Patrol at Skinners Falls on the Delaware River.
It was also the day she had her first save.
Danilo Carvajal, 59, from Queens, NY was at Skinners Falls for the day with his family and fell in the river.
He has very little swimming capability, so Erika paddled her kayak up the falls to save Danilo.
He grabbed onto the front of her kayak and she took him to safety.
Carvajal’s daughter, Valeria, stated that she was so very thankful that Erika was able to save her father.
National Park Service Public Affairs Officer Loren Goering said, “The National Canoe Safety Patrol is incredibly dedicated. They are a group of volunteers who have been helping save lives on the river since the Spring of 1979.
“They help save dozens of people a day, be it a tipped over canoe or stranded swimmer. They had five crews out last Saturday,” Goering said. “You never will know how many of those people they help may have drowned.”
Thanks to Erika Poston’s heroic deeds last Saturday, there certainly is at least one.